12 First Overall Draft Picks Who Got Paid For Nothing [Photos]

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The pressure with being the first overall draft pick for a professional sports team can be a heavy burden to bear. The NFL is currently buzzing with news of Jadeveon Clowney, its top choice for the 2014 Draft, would rather search for girls on Instagram than increase his total games played from two to three.

It may be too early to call Clowney a wash just yet, but we’ve compiled the biggest first overall draft pick busts from the major North American sports leagues.

If he doesn’t shape up, this will be his future.

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Photo: ESPN, Daniel Tanner/WENN.com

Photo: Mobile Alabama County Sheriff’s Office

JaMarcus Russell (2007 NFL Draft)

Picked Ahead Of: Marshawn Lynch; Adrian Peterson

Russell signed a $61 million contract (with $32 million guaranteed) and immediately fell off. He would end up being cut and arrested for drinking lean.

Photo: TMZ

David Carr (2002 NFL Draft)

Picked Ahead Of: Jeremy Shockey; Julius Peppers

Carr was supposed to kick off the Houston Texans inaugural season with a bang. Obviously that didn’t happen for the embattled quarterback who cost the team more than $35 million to be the most-sacked quarterback in a single season.

Photo: Hockeyfights.com

Rick DiPietro (2000 NHL Draft)

Picked Ahead Of: Dany Heatle; Marian Gaborik

The New York Islanders welcomed the third ever goalie to the first pick of the draft and he rewarded them with plenty of injury plagued seasons while earning more than $65 million in his career. That’s him pictured above in the fetal position.

Photo: C4TO

Pervis Ellison (1989)

Picked Ahead Of: Shawn Kemp; Tim Hardaway

New school kids remember Pervis Ellison being namedropped by Jay Z as a has been. Old school kids remember him as being nicknamed “Out of Service Pervis” for his continuous injuries.

Photo: Florida Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office

Matt Bush (2004 MLB Draft)

Picked Ahead Of: Justin Verlander; Homer Bailey

Bush got into bar fights and drunkenly ran over a senior citizen man, earning him the rare distinction of being drafted #1 without ever playing a major league game. He’s currently rotting in prison.

Photo: NBA TV

Michael Olowokandi (1998 NBA Draft)

Picked Ahead Of: Dirk Nowitzki; Paul Pierce

The Air Up There this was not. “Kandi Man” is the perfect reminder of why the Los Angeles Clippers current success is so fascinating.

Photo: Adriana M. Barraza/WENN

Greg Oden (2007 NBA Draft)

Picked Ahead Of: Kevin Durant; Joahkim Noah

Oden’s knees were already giving way during his college years but the Portland Trailblazers still took a losing gamble on him. He’s sitting on $15 million without ever being heralded in the league.

Photo: MLB

Brien Taylor (1991 MLB Draft)

Picked Ahead Of: Manny Ramirez

Taylor held out for $1.55 million contract with the New York Yankees and never played one game with them.

Photo: Judy Eddy/WENN

Kwame Brown (2001 NBA Draft)

Picked Ahead Of: Tony Parker, Pau Gasol

Brown made then-Washington Wizards team president Michael Jordan look utterly foolish. He got paid $17 million to average 4.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in his rookie season.

Photo: TheClassicSports

Steve Emtman (1992 NFL Draft)

Picked Ahead Of: Desmond Howard; Mark Chmura

Emtman was as strong as an ox during his tenure at University of Washington Huskies, but only managed to record 66 tackles in his six-year, injury-riddled NFL career.

Photo: MLB Global

Bryan Bullington (2002 MLB Draft)

Picked Ahead Of: Prince Fielder

Bullington got $4 million to play in the minor leagues for the Pirates, but his arm never amounted to much in the majors.

Photo: ESPN

Courtney Brown (2000 NFL Draft)

Picked Ahead Of: Tom Brady; Brian Urlacher

Brown set out to make the Cleveland team his own personal franchise but the grueling play of the NFL stunted his career after just six seasons and a lot of zeroes in his bank account and stat sheet.

Biggest First Overall Draft Pick Busts In All Sports [Photos]